Despite rumors, Michigan State Spartans RB Bell still undecided on move to NFL

by root shed

It was widely-reported just a few days ago by numerous reporters that Michigan State running back Le’Veon Bell had finally made his decision to declare for the 2013 NFL Draft an forgo his senior year as a Spartan.

Thursday, the Michigan State Spartans’ website and head coach Mark Dantonio refuted those claims… at least, for now.

“He’s not made a decision yet,” Dantonio said with confidence on Thursday. “Right now, Le’Veon is focusing on the present. He’s like most young people. They don’t look too far in the future, they’re focused on the present and they’re pretty resilient about the past.”

For weeks, Bell has told reporters and the media that he had no plans to make a hasty decision concerning his future as it pertained to entering next year’s NFL draft, but recent articles have made claims to the contrary, such as one published just a few days ago by Mike Griffith of MLive.com,

“Bell is expected to submit paperwork through Michigan State to the NFL College Advisory Committee, which will in turn give him a report indicated where he can expect to be drafted.”

Right now, the NFL College Advisory Committee would reportedly still be weeks away from being able to provide Bell with an accurate game plan for his possible NFL destination should he declare for the draft, but that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from turning. Either way, coach Dantonio wants his talented, young player to know that there are advantages to both sides of the situation.

“Right now, Le’Veon has been extremely positive about both aspects,” Dantonio said. “What we’ve talked about is that he has to look at two different sides to this. What’s most important to me is, I don’t want to be selfish and say, `This is what you need to do and this is why.’

“What I have said is if you decide to come back, there’s got to be value in doing that and it’s got to equate to leaving, or vice versa. Right now, he shouldn’t be painted into a corner, either way.”

No matter what the ultimate decision for Bell comes to, Dantonio and others are stressing the importance to Bell of making sure to take the proper amount of time to think these things through. A hasty decision may not be the best one, but rather, when your future is at state, taking an extra moment to reflect upon all of the possible outcomes could mean all the difference in the end.

“When you make a big decision like this, I’ve always told my players, and myself, that we should always slow the process down, so we can make the best decision we can,” Dantonio added. “That’s what we’re trying to do here. Slow the game down.”

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